Scales Scales Scales (Part 2)
(26 Mar 04)
Modes
Let's say we play all the modes in 9th position, with the note E being the root every time. Let's focus on the upper three strings, and let's limit it to playing those scales in one octave, only. Here are the 7 modes: E major, E dorian etc.
Now, one way to get a better feel for the individual sound of these modes would be to use a popular exercise by Joe Satriani. Hit the low E-string and let it ring. Then, play the E Major scale shown above. Listen to the sound of that.
Hit the E-String again, let it ring, and play E-Dorian (E Phrygian etc.). That way, you can compare the sounds of those modes directly. You can even improvise over that ringing low E, which is kinda like using the "Pitch Axis" theory that Satch made popular among rock guitarists.
Try it: keep the low E-string ringing (you could also use a keyboard to give you that reference E) and solo over it in E major for four bars, using the pattern shown above. Then, after four bars, move on to E Dorian etc.
It's a good way of 'hearing' the modes, and it shouldn't be too hard either, since it should be easy now to play the scales correctly, after working on those scale patterns for a while. After all, those fragments shown above are part of these patterns.
After a while, you won't only hear the different notes, but playing them in one static position will actually help you to see and understand what makes them different from each other... you'll see that eg. To get the mixolydian mode, you only have to change one note of the major scale (Lower the D to C#) - to get the lydian mode, you only have to change a different note of the major scale (raise the A to A#) etc.
And I think that if you keep doing this, you'll eventually get away from pure "mechanical stuff" (memorizing the patterns) and get to actual music (understanding the modes and their differences). So this should be another part of your scale workout.
And here are two examples of "modal" progressions. First, E Lydian (which is derived from B major). Remember that you donīt only wanna focus on the scale you play (E Lydian) but you also wanna give the chords / background a lydian sound, which I tried to do by incorporating the open B- and E-Strings, and starting the progression on E Major.
This is a nice progression to play E Lydian over. Take a look:
And a similar progression for E Mixolydian (derived from A Major).
Check out some of the other articles at iBreathe to learn more about modal playing and applying the modes. I just incorporated these examples to give you more material for your workout.
This belongs to the "improvisation" part.
A conclusion? Not yet
Well anyway, this was my basic scale workout. Of course, you can add more exercises, delve deeper into certain aspects of playing scales etc.
However, I was trying to give you a basic idea of things that are involved in learning scales: different exercises and approaches.
You should try to always think both as a guitar-player (learning your patterns) and a MUSICIAN (learning and understanding the actual scales and their sounds).
What I mean is: it sure is a cool thing if you're able to say "OK, E major scale now" and then proceed to play that scale all over the neck. However, you wanna do more than just play scales up and down. You wanna play music. You wanna use modes in a musical context. You wanna create something.
Let me get out my old "language comparison" once more: it sure is impressive if you have a vocabulary of, say, 600 words. However, that alone isn't enough... if you don't know how to use all those words, if you don't try to actually SAY something with them, you'll just be blabbering around, babbling all these words without any sense.
However, if you know what you want to say, you can use your big vocabulary to say it nicely... people will enjoy listening to you saying it using all these cool words.
Same goes for your playing... it gets boring after a while if all you do is play some scales and patterns up and down. But if you actually wanna say something, play a great solo, phrase or melody, you can use all those patterns you learned to find that melody, play it and embellish it. You don't really have to worry about what notes to play, or whether that and that note will fit to the key you're in. You'll know.
So now, you can focus on actually saying something.
|
